Work-Based Learning

North Country Union

High School

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What is Work-Based Learning?

Work-Based Learning (or WBL) is a program for students at North Country High School where they can earn credit while learning at a workplace. It can involve short-term unpaid experiences such as internships and job shadows, and long-term paid positions. WBL allows students to explore careers, connect with businesses and develop their workplace and transferrable skills.

These experiences can occur during and/or outside of the regular school day. Along with participation at their community site, students meet with their school Work-Based Learning Coordinator to reflect on their experience and the knowledge, understandings, and skills they are developing through it.

Paid Work Experiences

Students are employed at an area business in part-time jobs. The student reports to the job and is paid as a regular employee. The experience is guided by a Learning Agreement and Training Plan and the employer evaluates the student on their workplace and transferable skills.

The Work-Based Learning Coordinator has monthly check-ins with each student and visits their worksite. Students complete a weekly timesheet, self-reflection each quarter, write a resume and cover letter, and receive feedback from their employer gathered by the Work-Based Learning Coordinator.

This is the most common Work-Based Learning experience at NCUHS. Students are eligible to earn elective credit by participating in a Paid Work Experience. They are able to enroll anytime during the school year, but when they sign up will determine how much credit they are awarded. If they lose their job after signing up, the student receives credit based on how long they were enrolled in Work-Based Learning.

There is no minimum hour requirement for Paid Work Experiences. Students are graded based on their ability to reflect on their work experience over a duration of time, even if they only work a few hours each week.

Students may also earn elective credit for their Paid Work-Experience over the summer vacation. If students choose to participate, they are able to earn 0.5 credit.

Internships

Student internships are experiences where students work for an employer for a specified period of time to learn about an industry or occupation. Student workplace activities may include special projects, a sample of tasks from different jobs, or tasks from a single occupation. The student meets with the Work-Based Learning Coordinator, discusses their interests, and the Work-Based Learning Coordinator finds a placement for their internship.

The student must complete 32.5 hours at their internship site to earn 0.25 elective credit. They will document their hours using an internship hour log that must include the date they worked, the time they started working, when they ended their shift, and what they learned.

Job Shadows and Informational Interviews

Job shadows and informational interviews are available for students who want to participate in short Work-Based Learning experiences that are not credit bearing. The job shadows and informational interviews are a great option for students who need clarity on prospective career paths and want to gain information from people in their fields of interest. Job shadows allow students to see what a day in the life of someone in a specific industry looks like.

Informational interviews give students the opportunity to have a one-on-one conversation with employers and employees of businesses they are interested in working for. Informational interviews allow students to ask questions about tasks related to specific jobs and how that person gained the education and experience they needed to be hired for their position.

The Work-Based Learning Coordinator will work with students to identify locations and contacts for job shadows and informational interviews.